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Kathryn Evans

Activity 17.2

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Write a list for yourself of the types and formats of resources, teaching materials and activities that are used in your context. 


If there are only one or two, add two or three more that you might like to include in the future, or in a different context. 

Make notes on each resource, including for example: 

What media or formats are the resources in? 
In my context of KS4 & KS5 secondary education we our main resource is an interactive whiteboard for delivering lessons and books for writing notes/completing activities combined with worksheets as frames or for giving information.  Teachers use a lot of powerpoints to deliver lessons and often embed videos within them


Which students would need an alternative? 
SEN students are identified and their learning passports highlight alternative strategies.  At KS4 a handful of students are able to complete their work on their own computers, at KS5 the majority of students do.  There are also a number of students whose work needs to be printed on different coloured paper.  Within the setting there are also a few students with hearing issues who are to be "seated at the front" although I do not believe this helps during noisy group work.  There is also one blind student although I have not taught her in my subject.  I believe that there are a number of SEN students who have NOT been identified who would benefit from an alternative.

Which alternatives would be an ideal solution, given unlimited human and technical resources?
All lessons delivered online through websites or Google Classroom to students who are carrying their own chromebooks.  When lessons are delivered this way objectives and timings can be flexible to  suit different styles of learning as well as SEN needs, those who prefer to listen could use screen readers and headphones, those who like to read can do so at their own pace, making notes can be simplified by copying and pasting information, using online tools for mindmapping etc.

 Which alternatives are practical in the context of the learning outcomes? 
The biggest practical issue in secondary is the need for the teacher to constantly be able to sow progression of the students, if work/notes etc is completed on a computer and not in books it must be kept in chronological order to show inspectors what students have completed and how their understanding has been improved.  This could be done through Google Classroom as files are stored in classes but students are weak at following file naming and filling protocols.  

Are the resources readily available for your students at the time they need them? 
With Google Classroom the resources can be readily available under the current system they are merely available during lesson times.

Who in your organisation is responsible for providing alternative formats and any descriptions required? 
Individual teachers

Is anyone responsible for checking the quality of alternative format materials? 
No

Are there any copyright issues?
No - teachers produce their own materials or use those under licence for use by the organisation.

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Kathryn Evans

Assistive Technology

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Interesting statement here in my reading.

Screenshot of a statement about different technology

In my work as an Assistive Technology Tutor I concur that more students use Windows that mac and that the technology is better designed for windows than Mac as I teach both.

As for the external resources - this year the DSA has stopped providing Microsoft Office as part of their package as universities include Office 365 in their provision..  The AT software provided often needs Office and does NOT work with Open office, the OU is the only university I have come across which doesn't provide Office 365 so their AT students are disadvantaged.

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Kathryn Evans

Activity 7.1

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  • What was surprising?

I was surprised by the level of issues dyslexics face, when I did the test and saw the passage I could process it fairly easily but it clearly conveyed the difficulty faced by dyslexic people

  • Was anything difficult to understand?

No I don't think I struggled

  • Would another kind of training be better for you?

I like practical training so a fully interactive course where you experience the issues and answer scored questions would help

  • Could you use any of these resources in your role?

Yes - the practical exercises would be brilliant

If you are an experienced practitioner, think back to your own introduction to the field.

  • Did you have formal accessibility training? If so, how useful was it?

None whatsoever!

  • Can you suggest anything that would be useful to the less experienced students in your group?
Spend time talking to students about their issues and experiences and the coping strategies they employ, try using assistive technology
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Kathryn Evans

Models of Disability

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Another thinking point, in my daily work of training HE students with assistive technology I am constantly reminded that "disability" comes in a myriad of seen and unseen forms.  I am also aware that we are probably scraping the tip of the iceberg still with diagnosis and acceptance of disabilities.  Many students receive a diagnosis late in their years or late in their studies, i.e they are not diagnosed until working at university level, these of course are students with hidden learning disabilities such as dyslexia.  I increasingly loathe the term disability too as I see these issues as differences not disabilities.  My own son has differences, both hidden (badly!) and unhidden as he stammers and suffers from ADHD and Dyspraxia - the stammer is obvious but to me so is a lot of the ADHD behavior.

I feel its time to re-name disability as difference, but then I also feel its time to re-name racism as ignorance.

In the ebook I was struck by this sentence

"The way we define and understand disability has the potential to have a significant impact on the learning experiences of students with disabilities." (Seale, 2006)

True to form I mindmapped the terminology for the different models - colour coding them for those which I think are socially acceptable in todays society.


Seale, J. (2006). E-learning and disability in higher education. London: Routledge.


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Kathryn Evans

Language and Etiquette - Activity 2.4

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Edited by Kathryn Evans, Thursday, 20 Oct 2016, 12:34

Quite an eye opener, lots of things I didn't know popped up as we as many which I did.  Mindmapped for later perusal  

  • How would you define ‘accessibility’?

The right of all individuals to be able to use the same materials, or partake in the same activity.

  • Who do you think is responsible for accessibility?

Everyone, designers of courses in this context but also curriculum designers.

  • What do you understand by accessibility in an educational context?

Materials and activity suited to everyones needs and abilities.

  • What do you understand by accessibility in the context of online learning?

Materials being accessible by anyone with learning, physical or mental needs.

  • Why is accessibility a concern today in your context or country?

We nod to it and adapt materials to suit learners with different needs instead of ensuring that all materials are fully accessible to all learners.

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Kathryn Evans

H810

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Edited by Kathryn Evans, Monday, 17 Oct 2016, 11:18

Its appropriate that I was desperate to do this module as I have been very unwell the past couple of months and I feel like I'm emerging from a fog.  The main problem has been itching and a severe facial rash and its been going on most of this year but seemed to get worse in the summer, I am definitely suffering some photosensitivity.  This might not sound like a big deal but when it flares up badly its like needles constantly digging my skin, painful and unmanageable, Creams, lotions etc are not even touching it and are often causing worse reactions.  When its at its peak I literally sit with a cold wet flannel on my face for hours trying to cool the burning sensation and keep the itching down to a minimum.  In between bouts my skin is dry and scaly and I have gained a lot of wrinkles.

This is not the only unpleasant symptom, my body has lost the ability to regulate temperature and when I get hot or cold I stay that way.  Hot is worse as my face starts to sweat and guess what?  It makes the itching worse!  We have had a long hot summer where I felt increasingly unable to cope.  Some days I was also fatigued to the point of spending most of the day napping.  In the past 6 to 8 weeks I have also suffered joint pain, particularly in my knees which have been much better since last summer and I have once again taken to using my stick to aid mobility.  Oh yes and i've developed brain fog.   

The GP has suggested Lupus as I have raised markers but waiting for a rheumatology appointment was 2 months.  During this time my general depression worsened to the point where I was not effectively functioning, I had a total lack of concentration and was desperately trying to finish the EMA for my previous module.  I didn't even apply for an extension as I felt the pressure of having a deadline to meet was too much.  I just carried on when I could and finished it for my own piece of mind.  Last week I finally saw the rheumatologist and he thinks it is not Lupus and has referred me on to dermatology for the face and confirmed the joint pain is the early onset of arthritis.  I have now applied for exceptional circumstances to hand in my EMA next April.

And now I've started properly on H810 and I have my first TMA due on Monday!  I will ask for an extension of 1 week and I'm going on holiday to chill out and study.  

Already I've started and feel inspired by the material and that my recent experiences of being physically unable to function have given me an insight.  First week of work and I love the table of language to use - It makes total sense.

UseInstead of
disabled people or disabled studentsthe disabled

In the UK there is a move away from using 'people with disabilities' or 'students with disabilities'.

has epilepsy, is visually impaired, is deaf, etc.handicapped, suffering from ..., afflicted by ..., a victim of ...

avoid negative or overly emotional language

person or student with epilepsy, dyslexia or schizophreniaepileptic, dyslexic, schizophrenic
'John has a mobility impairment''John is mobility impaired'
deaf people or deaf students

'hard of hearing' refers to people with mild to moderate hearing loss

the deaf, deaf and dumb

The deaf community tends not to use the term 'deaf and hard of hearing'

wheelchair userwheelchair bound, confined to a wheelchair
disabled person, person with a mobility impairmentcrippled, spastic
disabled person, person with Down's syndromemongol
blind person, partially sighted personthe blind
non-disabled personable bodied
person with dyslexia, person with specific learning difficultiesword blind
learning disability

not to be confused with mental health difficulty

mental handicap
person with mental health difficulties

person who has experienced emotional or mental distress

mentally ill
accessible toiletdisabled toilet
person of restricted growthdwarf, midget
individual needs, learning support needs, access requirementsspecial needs
personal assistant, sighted guide, support worker (as appropriate)

use the professional title

helper
never use these terms!mad, crazy, bonkers, loony, subnormal

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